Shooting In the Londonderry Musquash: Its a War Zone Out There! - Granite Grok

Shooting In the Londonderry Musquash: Its a War Zone Out There!

“Everything is funny, so long as its’ happening to someone else.” —Will Rogers

Musquash Sign_bullet_holesLONDONDERRY The town conservation committee had their commiseration session tonight relative to target shooting in the Musquash Conservation area.  The comments were little more than drama…many of which were likely exaggerated or perhaps grossly untrue.  “Shooting at the feet of people on the trail?” Target shooters shooting at each other?” One such pander-monger said,  “You can’t hunt with an AR-15 so why can you target practice with one?” Funny, Funny stuff.

I did not go to the meeting because I had anything of value to add, I mean after all, this has absolutely nothing to do with Londonderry Fish & Game Club. But the humor value is always priceless. And when it comes to firearms, those commissioners always sound pretty silly. I understand that the Musquash Conservation Land is a multi-use public property intended for use by all.  But lets be perfectly frank here. These folks simply do not like the sound of gunfire and that is the long and the short of the issue. If all of what they described were happening out there,  somebody would have been hurt long, long ago. That is not to say there are not a few idiots doing stupid and irresponsible things while shooting in the Musquash. LFGC has an occasional wayward member who thinks the rules are not for him or her, and we bring that quickly into check and accountability. Our safety record is impeccable.

The underlying reason I went however,  was because somehow…someway, those folks always seem to poke the LFGC with their proverbial sharp sticks. We are analogous to  George W. Bush where somehow it is always our fault.  No matter.

But not to disappoint, one gem did emerge. One such Conservation Commissioner put the idea out there, “Perhaps the Londonderry Fish & Game Club would let Londonderry Residents shoot at their club. “

A couple of things. First, LFGC is a private club. It is privately owned.  While some who shoot in the Musquash might assert the club dues are too expensive, our annual membership fee is only $120. Sure, it ‘ain’t’ free.  But its clean, safe and supervised.  Second, while that solution might alleviate some shooting in the Musquash, it is not likely to eliminate all of it…or reduce it significantly, for that matter. LFGC has rules about what may be used and what may not be used as target media. Members are required to clean up after themselves at LFGC.  In the Musquash however, a fair number of those who shoot, do not.

LFGC does not allow alcohol on or near our ranges (we don’t even have a bar). A considerable number of folks who shoot in the Musquash leave the land looking like a garbage dump. Those people will find no appeal at LFGC. LFGC Shooters may not use cars, refrigerators or other household appliances as targets. That is not to say all who shoot in the Musquash conservation property are irresponsible. But clearly there are a number of them putting a “bee in the conservation bonnet.”

When the town GIS manager and other officials conducted a study for a safe place to shoot somewhere in that 900-acre parcel, I don’t think they looked very hard. I think the end-game was to say, “no” to the project under the pretext of public safety. That is just my opinion as LFGC has no “dog in that fight.” The pure fact is, Public ranges end up as garbage dumps..they’re not maintained nor supervised. There seem to be more arguments against a public range area than for one, just on the pollution issue alone.  I do not have an answer for the  Con-Com, but telling “tall tales ”  is not useful. Nor is it my job to come up with a solution. Besides, they’ve never asked anyway. And with their loathesome view of us, they would not accept it.

So, if I understand the Conservation Commission, they think we should absorb all the problem children who shoot firearms in the Musquash Conservation Area? LFGC should absorb all the costs, Insurance, Taxes, maintenance, supervision, and headaches associated with the public? Yeah, not so much.  This from the very body that gives us nothing but grief when we want to undertake a project on our own privately owned land.  So I ask, whats in it for us?

>